What is the most ancient artifact in ancient Egypt?

Answer 1

A large 2,400 year old gorgeous turquoise colored faience/composition amulet of the ancient Egyptian God of Wisdom, Learning, and Measurements, "Thoth". The baboon, being Thoth's "sacred animal", is construed as at least an indirect reference to Thoth. But the baboon was also a manifestation of "Khonsu", who like Thoth was a moon god, but unlike Thoth, was but a minor deity in the Ancient Egyptian Pantheon. There was also a baboon god in the Early Dynastic period named Hedjwer, 'The Great White One', who became closely linked with Thoth. Predating Hedjwer, there was also a pre-dynastic baboon deity known as "Baba", a very aggressive deity representing male virility. As well, Hapy, the son of Horus who guarded the canopic jar that held the lungs, had the head of a baboon. You can see that baboon was a popular manifestation of a number of deities, though inarguably the most significant of these was Thoth, and given the time frame, was most likely a representation of Thoth. The amulet is fairly large (as such amulets go), and is quite distinctive and handsome. The amulet possesses sharply molded features, and is exceptionally well preserved. The depiction is of a squatting baboon, wearing at least a wig, probably a royal "nemes" headcloth.

This is a well-preserved amulet, certainly not the normal specimen, which often has been reduced to a crudely featured lump by the passage of millennia. It is well detailed and a very artistic rendition of a baboon. The amulet has survived almost 2,400 years of burial without any cosmetically or structurally significant chips, breaks, or cracks; the amulet is in very good condition. The amulet is mounted onto a necklace of sequentially-strung, blue-green tubular "mummybeads" also constructed of faience. The tubular faience beads are between 15 and 30 millimeters (3/4 - 1 1/4 inches) in length, and about 3 millimeters (1/8th inch) inch in diameter. The disk-shaped beads used as accent separators are considerably older, likely origin before 1,000 B.C. The necklace is 75cm (30 inches) in length; large enough to fit over anyone's head, and is designed to suspend the amulet mid-chest. It is quite an impressive combination, and can be worn with elegance and distinction.